Railroad-car



(No Model.)

H. K. INGRAM. L J

RAILROAD CAR. I No. 513,235. Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

UN TED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HELLEN K. INGRAM, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

RAILROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,235, dated January 23, 1894.

Application filed July 8, 1893 Serial No. 479,894- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

l 3e it known that I, HELLEN K. INGRAM,'& citizen of the United States, residing at J acksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Oars, of which the following is a specification,reference beng had therein to the accompanying drawings.

lVly invention relates to improvements in rail-road cars, whereby the ordinary day coach by slight additions and alterations can read- 11y and speedily be converted into a sleeping car, and is an enlargement of my idea partly shown in my application of August 22, 1892. Figure 1 shows the upper and lower berths in position as per my plan; Fig. 2, a section of seat with ornamental extension.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both figures.

A. A. represent two opposing seats in an ordinary car and B. B. the backs of the same.

In new cars constructed to fully embody and apply my idea, the backs of the seats I would construct with the usual curved face on one side, but on the back they are to be heavily upholstered with a flat cushion which can be removed for the reason hereinafter explained.

Beneath the cushions of the seats A. A. I have a box or tray to holda mattress, &c., wh1le the car is not in use as a sleeper and I also have hinged to the back of the frame of the seats a board 0 like the leaf of atable, to shut in the box or tray and rest beneath the seat cushion in the day time, and when the car is used as a sleeper turned outward and upward to form head or foot boards.

In the side of the car between the windows, I have a recess panel upholstered on one side, similar'to the lower'panel shown in my application referred to, the lower end of which will be on a line with the backsof the seats when thrown upward and horizontal, and of a width to fill the space between and rest upon said backs and thus form a continuous surface. I would also have the arm rests cushioned and would extend the frame of the seats by curving the same upward as shown in the drawings, say three or four inches above the arm rest, in order to increase the space between the berths, when backs are thrown up and car used as sleeper.

I have a brass or other metal rod E, running from the side of the car, just above the windows and projecting outas far as the outer edge of the seats and at right angles, thence parallel with and the distance of two seats and thence at right angles back to the car, and supported at its turns or angles by rods or bars extending and secured to the roof of the car. This rod E is for the purpose of attaching curtains while the car is arranged for a sleeper. I also have a board or leaf F hinged to the back of the seat, to shut into and rest under the removable cushion above referred to, and when the car is used as a sleeper, the said leaf or leaves, can be hinged outward and form foot and head boards for the upper berth. It can also be seen that I can supply this want in the cars as now constructed by having leaves or boards hinged to one end of the seat back as shown in Fig. 1, separate seat, and be held in place in the day time by catch or button, for head and foot boards for upper bert-h, while similar boards can be hinged to the frame of seat, for the lower berth, head and foot boards. When it is desirable to convert the car into a sleeper, one seat is turned to face another; the cushion of each seat is lifted up, the leaves 0 C hinged to -an upright position, forming head and foot board for lower berth, and the cushion replaced. The lower upholstered panel H is then let down, closing the space between the seats, (the backs of the seats having been turned in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1,) and we have a lower berth. The backs of the seats B.B.being placed or turned in the transverse orhorizontal position, their cushions above referred to are lifted and the leaves 0. 0. turned outward in aperpendicular position, the cushions replaced, the upper panel D let down upon the backs B B and we have an upper berth.

There are bolts inserted into the backs B. B at d d to support the same, and from the rod E there are chains, as shown, which terminate in rings g which fit around knobs at the corner of each seat back. The upper edge of the seat back should be grooved to form a rest and support for the panel D.

The recesses back of the panels 1-1 and D are used as a place for pillows, &c., during the day and from the rod E are suspended curtains to make the berths private when the car is in use as a sleeper.

I am aware that the use of the backs of car seats for this purpose is not new and I do not claim it broadly.

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rail-road car, in combination with the seats A. A., provided with the leaves 0, O, and the upholstered panel H, constructed as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a rail-road car, the seats A. A, with the backs 13.13., the leaves or foot and head boards F. F, and the cushioned panel D, constructed and combined as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a rail-road car, the seats A. A, with cushioned arm rests and curving frame a, tray a, leaves or head and foot boards 0, C, the backs B. B. provided with the leaves F. F, bolts cl, cl, in combination with the recess panels D. and H, and rod E, so constructed and 30 Witnesses:

J. G. INGRAM, CHAS. H. SUMMERS. 

